Travel Safety & Health

New Zealand is a relatively safe country in regards to crime but as with any country it pays to stay vigilant. Listed below are some safety tips to help you remain safe and have a good time. 

• If you are hitchhiking try to do so in pairs. If you are hitch hiking alone, be sure to read each situation carefully. If you feel uncomfortable dont hop in the car. The NZ Police  phone number is 111 but please be aware that New Zealand is a large country and in rural areas there may be no cell phone signal and the nearest police may be an hour or more away. 
• Dont accept drinks or drugs from strangers. It can be difficult to make wise decisions when you are not sober. 
• Expensive clothes and jewelery will make you stand out especially in rural New Zealand. Even expensive sportswear can make you a target. A lot of juvenile gangs like sportswear from overseas and if you have something that they like, it could make you a target for robbery. 
• Dont leave laptops, phones , wallets etc sitting in your car in plain view. Tidy cars are also a target. 
• Dont be a stupid drunk. You may be a tough guy in your country but in New Zealand you dont know who you are picking a fight with. In rural New Zealand people stick together, you pick a fight in a bar with a local, you will have everyone turning on you. There is also a big gang problem in New Zealand and you could be unwittingly be picking a fight with a gang associated person. This will not end well for you.